Manufacture of type wheels



y 1 Y J. LAST 2,602,397

MANUFACTURE OF TYPE Filed Dec. 3, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l 7 EiE-F-"J" Z l NVENT OR JAMES us;

V way/24% ATTORNEY July 8, 1952 J, ST 2,602,397

MANUFACTURE OF TYPE WHEELS Filed Dec. 3, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENTOR Y Z! JAMES L487 WfW 4 ATTORNEY July 8, 1952 J, s-r 2,602,397

MANUFACTURE OF TYPE WHEELS Filed Dec. 3, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet a \NVENTOR JAMES LAST y 8, 1952 J. LAST 2,602,397

MANUFACTURE OF TYPE WHEELS Filed Dec. 3, '1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR JA MES LAST ATTORNEY Patented July 8, 1952 James Last,.London,;Englan d, assignor to Inter-- national Business ;'Machines' Corporation, New YorlnN. Y., a corporation of N ejw York AppIicationDecember 3, 1949, Serial Nor 131,022 In Great-Britain FebrnaryzZ, :1949

"4 Claims. (01. 101-4015) .1 This invention-relates to-improvements in the manufacture oftype wheels and-in particular to circular typew-heels suitable for usein printing mechanisms.

It isknown to manufacture circular type wheels -by-a'swaging process using anengraved matrix in bar form. This process requires that the wheel -be reciprocated backwards and forwards over the ban-thus limiting the maximum speed at which -acomplete swaging operation can be carried out.

" Furthermore, the distance between thework shaft bearing the type wheelblank and the bar matrix must be gradually decreased as the swaging operation progresses. In consequence, the distance --between the work shaft and the matrix must be reset at the beginning of each swaging operation, which may lead to variations in diameter of'the type wheels. The same pointon the type wheel always strikesthe matrix at the beginning of 'each'str'oke, and this continued impact at one point --may well lead to distortion or eccentricity in the .finishedwheel.

it -isan object of the present invention to enable the more rapid -manufacture of type wheels, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture, -and,-at the same time, to obtain greater consistency-in diameter of the wheels.

According to the invention, apparatus for swaging characters formed on a matrix on toa circular blank comprises a rotating machine shaft adapted to receive the matrix at afixed height above a table, a work spindleadapted toreceive -theblank mounted on a fixture on the tableso that-"the matrix and the blank are in a plane, similar gear. wheelsfixedto thematrix and the blank,.and means for. slidingthe fixture tobring che-blank, while in the said plane, up to the matrix so that the gear wheels engage each other --and then-bringing the fixture vertically beneath the matrix so that the gear wheels fully mesh, -the saidfixed height being such that the matrix has fully swaged its characters into the blank when the two are in the said relative vertical position. i-In the'preferred form of the .invention, the ..matrix is mounted on the shaft of a milling-machine and the blankin half bearings secured to the milling machine table. A coupling isrprovidedbetweenthe two gears mounted on the .imachineshaft and so arranged that throughout .gtheswaging operation at least one ofthe said .gearsis fully in meshwith oneof the gears ;,mounted on the; shaftcarrying the blank.

The swaging operationv is effected by moving -.:.,the;.tab1e.of the machineso thatthe blank is;

brought from a- ;position out i of contact .with. the

matrix into a position inwhlch it 'is vertically beneath the matrix, the distancebetweenthe machine shaft and the table being si.lch ,thj a.t at this point the characters are fully swaged into the-blank, and thenreturnthe table-tolits original-position. Theswaged blankis then ground :to-memove surplus gnetal fromthe rim which is -.expresse d duringthe swagin operation. .A locating hole,;toge thenwith-,anumber ofli'ghteningholes is-drilled in the weblof the wheel. Jrne wheel may then be placedgon a gear. v utter so that; gear teeth may. be out into the whe intermediate the character position'aaecurate location .being effected by the-locating-hole.

} Finall'yathe completed type wheel is hardened.

Otherobjects; ofthe invention will vbe pointed out -in't he following description and claims and i 1 a ed i th e mp n m d wi wh h disclose; by wayof examples, the principle or; the invention and; the; best mode, which; has been ontem a ed of genu n yh p i i I t e w ng .Figure l is a front-view of the machine shatt and tab e; with the matrix and blank inpositi'on.

.Figure Z-isaside view of the hookedlink. 'Figure. 3 is avertical section on: the AA -li ne of 3 Figurez.

ouring various-stagesof theswaging operation.

Figures; 4,: 5,; 6 and '7; are diagrammatic views showing the relative positioning 1 of the parts i v s ows c v ewh .P Psim LbYI-ih swaging operation.

Figure 8a is a verticalcross section showing a type, wheel blank -mountedlon. its shaft l 'a fter swaging has been completed.

Fi ure 9: shoWs -irrgreater detail the relative o ina thameirix an t e lan a stages .i u ra e nflame; 's gur .T aratu 1 fo -,p fqrmin th swa in Y operation includes a,- machi ne shaft land a table '4!v-wh-iclr maybe traversed in a direction perpen- P1191113 t the-gla ofi h e an 3 owg r Eigure. -1.' .;A milling machine with;aheadstock3 ma f r exam l b sed- Thema ixA: is, a ld sco h dene ste wit h r qu re cha ac en rave arou :at

- per h r e ni on t e mahi esh ft I oee h nwi h se rwheel ;lih seanwhe l; 5

i rov de with: tw diamet ical y o pose p ..iect ne us ic & en a wi r ot ,2 ath ;sea .whe I I i m untedgio afr e no at o on. a s eve: B- This e -wh lha two-lu s .18 (Figures-2 and: 3) qwhichgengage .two additional the table. 5 axis of work shaft I is vertically below the axis slots in the disc IS, the two pairs of slots lying on diameters which are at right angles. The sleeve I3 has an elliptical opening loosely receiving a sleeve I on the machine shaft I and permitting the sleeve I3 to move transversely relative to the shaft. The sleeve I5, the gear wheel 5 and the matrix 4 are retained in position on the machine shaft by washers I1 and a locking nut IS. The two gear wheels 5 and H together with the disc I9 form a coupling which drives the gear wheel II with the gear 5 even though the axes of the two gear wheels may not be in line.

A link I4 with a hook shaped end 2I (Figure 2) is pivotally mounted on the sleeve I3 and is movable with the latter transversely of the shaft I. At the upper end, this link is pivotally secured to an arm 23 by a stud 24 (Figure 4). One end of the arm 23 has a slot 2! with an enlarged portion 28 cut therein, the slot being slidably engaged with a stud 25 secured to a standard 26 which is bolted to the machine table 2. The arm 23 is under spring tension'due to a spring 29.

Also mounted on the table 2 is a base-plate Hi (Figure 1) carrying two half-bearings 9. In

'these bearings rests the work shaft I carrying the steel type wheel blank 6.

A nut 30 on a threaded portion of the work shaft I serves to clamp the blank I; firmly between collars 3I and 32. Secured to the work shaft 1 are two gear wheels 8 and I2 which are adapted to mesh with gear wheels 5 and II respectively when the table is traversed to the right. The hooked end 2| of 'the link I4 is adapted to engage with the part 22 of the work shaft I when the table is moved to a position in which the gears I I and I2 are in mesh.

At the beginning of the swaging operation, the

table 2 is at the extreme left hand position as shown in Figure 4. Since the standard 26 is secured to the table, in this position the link I4 is 'turned about the machine shaft I so that the hooked end 2I is moved to the right, the stud 25 being engaged by the portion 28 of the arm 23. The work shaft I carrying the type wheel blank '6 is placed in the half bearings 9 and the table 32 is traversed to the right until the blank 6 and matrix 4 are almost in contact (Figure 5).

The sleeve I3 will be resting upon the sleeve I5 at this time and will support the gear II in a position to mesh with the gear I2 before the blank contacts the matrix and before the gear 8 meshes with the gear 5. With the gears I I and I2 meshing, the link I4 may be operated to engage its hooked end with the work shaft.

Arm 23 isthen raised so that stud 25 is disengaged from the portion 28. The spring 29 pulls the arm to theright so that stud 25 is in the slot 21. This movement causes the link I4 to pivot about machine shaft I and the hooked end 2| shaft I which, through the coupling and gear wheels II and I2, drives the workshaft I. The

1 table 2 is traversed further to the right by manually actuating the arm 23 to rotate the link I4 counter-clockwise so that it engages the work shaft and operates through the latter to move Thismovement is continued until the of machine shaft I (Figure 7). As the table moves to the right, the gear I2 forces the gear I I upwardly. The sleeve-I3 and the link I4 move with the gear'II' and cause the hooked'portion 2| to maintain its engagement with the Work shaft. The height of machine shaft I above the table is such that the characters on the matrix are fully swaged into the blank and the gear wheels 5 and 8 (Figure 1) when the shaft 1 is in vertical alignment with shaft I. This table movement also causes the stud 25 to become reengaged in portion 28 of the arm 23, so that the parts are latched in swaging position. When swaging is completed, the table is traversed back to the left by swinging the hooked end 2I of the link I4 in a clockwise direction. This may be accomplished by unlatching the arm 23 so that the spring 29 is effective to swing the link I4. It will be seen that throughout the time when the blank and matrix are in contact, the gear wheels II and I2 are held fully in mesh, ensuring that movement of the blank relative to the matrix is that due to a pure rolling movement only.

It has been found (in practice) that with a blank of approximately two and a half inches diameter and a speed for machine shaft I of 400 R. P. M. the swaging operation occupies approximately twenty seconds so that about 130 passes of the matrix over the blank are effected.

The blank 6 is provided with a formed central boss 32 (Figures 8 and 8a) which increases the resistance of the blank to any stress tending to deform it. As shown in Figure 8a the collars SI and 32 securing the blank 6 on the work shaft'I are of slightly less diameter than the blank, so that the excess metal expressed during the swaging operation is constrained to form a rim 35 around the periphery of the blank. The width of this rim in the plane of the type face is not uniform since the letter W, for example, contains more metal that the letter I, so that less surplus metal is expressed.

A special symbol Bl is used to position accurately the swaged blank so that a location-hole -33 may be drilled. Further holes 36 are also drilled in the web of the blank for the purpose of lightening it. At this stage, or before the holes are drilled, the rim 35 is ground to a uniform width and after drilling the positioning symbol 2! is ground off to leave a blank at this point on the type wheel. The blank is now placed in a gear cutting machine and teeth cut intermediate each character, the hole 33 providing for accurate location, Finally, the blank is hardened to form the finished type wheel.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for the manufacture of typ wheels comprising, in combination, a power shaft "having its axis lying in a fixed plane, a matrix mounted upon said power shaft for rotation therewith and having characters thereon, a work shaft, means rotatably supporting said Work shaft with its axis extending parallel to the axis of said power shaft, said supporting means being Jmovable toward and away from a position in which said work shaft lies in a plane including the axis of said power shaft and perpendicular to said first mentioned plane, a blank 'fixedito said work shaft and subjected to a swaging action by said matrix when said supporting means is moved to said position, a first gear fixed to said work shaft, a supporting member movable in a vertical direction relative to said power shaft, a secondgear rotatably supported by said member, means connecting said second gear continuously in driven relation with said power shaft, said member supporting said second gear in a position to mesh with said first-gear, upon movement of said supporting means towards said position,

before said blank comes into engagement with said matrix, and a hooked member pivotally supported by said supporting member and adapted to engage said work shaft for moving said supporting means to said position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including an arm pivotally connected to said, hooked member and adapted to be operated manually for positioning said hooked member, and a spring connected to said arm for urging the latter in a direction to hold said second gear in mesh with said first gear and to engage said hooked member with said work shaft. 7

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including an arm pivotally connected'to said hooked member and 4. An apparatus for the manufacture of type wheels comprising, in combination, a power shaft 1 having its axis lying in a fixedv horizontal plane, a matrix mounted upon said power shaft for rotation therewith and having characters thereon, a work shaft, means rotatably supporting said work shaft with its axis extending parallel to the axis of said power shaft, said supporting means being movable in a horizontal plane toward and away from a position in which said work shaft lies in a vertical plane including the axis of said power shaft, a blank fixed to said work shaft and subjected to a swaging action by said matrix when said supporting means is moved to said position,

,a first gear fixed to said work shaft, a sleeve mounted upon said power shaft and movable relative thereto in a vertical direction, a second gear rotatably supported by said sleeve, means connecting said second gear continuously in driven relation with said power shaft, said sleeve nor- -moving said supporting means to said position.

JAMES LAST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,374,225 Peacock Apr. 12 1927 2,038,759 I Roberts Apr. 28, 1936 

